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Originally published at Abeautifulresistance.org To Instrumentalize [Verb]: to give instruments or conditions for something to happen. Instrumental [Noun]: which serves as an instrument; which helps the action. There has been another massacre in a Brazilian favela. Nearly 20 people were killed in a shoot-out between the military police and alleged drug traffickers in a neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro called Alemão Complex. A recent report by the federal university of Niterói (UFF), financed by a German political foundation called Heinrich Böll, states that between 2007 and 2021, “17,929 operations were carried out by police in Rio de Janeiro. Of this total, 593 police operations resulted in massacres, totaling 2374 deaths.” These deaths are not inevitable, which is why the report also proposes a solution—to further develop a “democratic regime”, in order to legally limit the actions of law enforcement. This solution, however, fails to consider that, though avoidable, these casualties are not unintended, and are precisely through the democratic system that these extermination policies and impunity schemes have been put in place. Since the 60s, Brazil has lived in a dichotomy between Military Dictatorship and Democracy. We went from a right-wing US-backed regime to a charismatic leftist party leader of a working-class background, who was oppressed by that very dictatorial regime. Now, to the astonishment of those who subscribed to this binary political approach, it was the democratic system which gave voice to and elected supporters of the dictatorship. Nowadays, believing a “stronger” democracy is the solution to police violence is like believing taller buildings is the solution to rising sea levels. Do we really want to grow a structure without addressing the foundational issues of racism, classism, and blatant disregard for human life when it doesn’t benefit capitalism? The inefficiencies of Democracy have been discussed since its inception in Ancient Greece. And it would also be safe to say that the philosophical exercise around “democracy” has been a Western endeavor. One of my favorite quotes about this is, "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato" (Alfred North Whitehead in Process and Reality). These endless footnotes are an enduring effort to put European values, such as Democracy, at the forefront of any reading of the human condition. In academia, to speak of philosophy is really to refer to a specific group of thinkers, from a specific era—white men from the 19th century. Of the demographic of thinkers which are best equipped to theorize about the sociopolitical conditions favela residents are subjected to, these 19-century-European men are towards the bottom of the list. And the reality is that the demographic which is at the top of this list is exactly the one ending up in body-bags, victim to police violence. This is not by coincidence. Marielle Franco, a queer black woman from a favela in Rio de Janeiro, was a political theorist active in government. She was assassinated in 2018. Her college thesis at the federal university of Niterói (UFF) was about police violence in favelas and how their operations don’t work. The solution presented under the chapter “Popular organization and possible resistances” includes the word “instrumentalization”. Specifically, to render favela residents instrumental. According to Franco, the solution to combatting police violence in the favelas lies in the strengthening of the consciousness that “the favela must be respected” by the government and its “security agents”. Not the consciousness of these agents and government officials, though—the consciousness of the residents. It’s not in the best interest of those in power (government and those financing it) to have marginalized peoples (favela residents) becoming instrumental in society by pursuing their own aims and influencing policy. The established order, which in Brazil today is some type of Democracy, is better off massacring rather than instrumentalizing the favela. It costs less to kill than to restructure society to eradicate misery, poverty, racism, and exploitation. The only ‘justification’ for this slaughter is that these people ‘deserved’ to die because they were either criminals or at the wrong place at the wrong time. Obviously, that’s unacceptable. One of the most unacceptable things about Democracy, though, is when it serves as a means for an instrumentalized segment of the population to pursue the extermination of ‘the other’. The overrepresented use their power to eradicate the underrepresented, igniting a vicious democratic cycle where in each election the opposition gets smaller and is buried deeper. And one thing is for sure, the end of the Brazilian military dictatorship did not mean the end of militarization of Brazilian society. This is because, according to Marielle Franco, militarization is representative of how making money is still more important than protecting human lives. “The fight for demilitarization of society, of the State […] became a priority for those who dream of a world where life is above profit.” (UPP, page 135, n-1 edition, 2018). The 2022 report on police massacres argues that the “volume and a way of carrying out slaughters points to a horizon contrary to democratization.” However, nothing about Democracy “points towards a horizon opposite” to militarization. In fact, militarization has been carried out by the United States in the name “Democracy” for nearly a century. Could it be that Democracy is just a new word for the reign of capitalist profit? It isn’t only in the public security sector that vestiges of the Military Dictatorship can be seen. For as long as capitalist values endure in society, so will the need for militarization—to carry out the extermination of an ‘unprofitable’ segment of the population. Moreover, so will these values be represented by the ballot. Profit as a general concept wouldn’t have to be demonized if it didn’t so often come at the expense of people’s lives, and I’m not convinced Democratic elections are equipped or designed to prevent this from happening. More importantly, will it be through the vote that we can guarantee dignity to everyone? Will there be one politician who will do what needs to be done to guarantee every person has a roof over their head, food in their bellies, and the strengthened consciousness to become “instrumental” in society? When that happens, the role of the politician will be utterly obsolete. TRIGGER WARNING: THE IMAGES BELOW MAY DEPICT DEAD BODIES. Photos by Fabio Teixeira. July 21st, Alemão Complex, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ______ Written by Mirna Wabi-Sabi

Originally published at A Beautiful Resistance in English, at Le Monde Diplomatique Brasil in Portuguese. Roger Waters' new tour "This Is Not A Drill", which began in Pittsburgh July 6th, doesn't have a message — it's a conversation. The show is Waters' invitation to sit down, have a drink, and talk about something f*cking real: love, life, despair and how people in power are destroying humanity. Power, here, is not discussed in terms of political parties, in fact, U.S. Democrats are not spared from scrutiny, super-power world leaders are all painted in the same shade as war criminals. For an artist with a half-a-century long career, Waters shows he can keep up with the ever-changing landscape of entertainment and technology, while being overtly uninterested in using this ability to follow trends. He forges his own path musically, visually and politically — unapologetically — as he has done since the 60s. This authentic path is not an imposition or a lecture. Instead, he asks the audience to engage in serious reflection and debate about unavoidable threats to the human race and human dignity. As friends often disagree, the bond between the artist and the audience is not about holding the same views, but about sharing profound feelings, especially in the face of despair. If you're unwilling to have a conversation about the tragedy humankind has been submitted to, and the individuals and institutions responsible for it, don't show up. Having said that, the overt political opinion does not exclude audience members with different views. If anything, it's inclusive of everyone, and not just Pink Floyd fans. Even if you have never listened to Pink Floyd (I know it's hard to imagine that, but it's possible), or know nothing about them, here is an opportunity for an introduction. The show embraces and celebrates people of all races, ethnicities, gender and sexual identities, aside from fiercely advocating for every marginalized group's right to live and thrive. Because of this balance between nostalgia and pressing contemporary issues, this performance speaks to at least three generations, from young adults to their parents and grandparents. The social criticism is not subtle when it addresses issues of colonialism, police violence, sanctions, social media, nationalism, racism, wealth disparity, the patriarchy, and so on. But as a critic, Roger does more than tear down — he seeks to build community, unity, and respect for human life in all its diversity. Though one person here and there may be seen frowning at the "Reproductive Rights" display, you can be sure to see them singing their hearts out to Eclipse a few minutes later. It's not news that Waters' politics have rubbed plenty of people the wrong way, he knows that and addresses it head on. Those who think Roger's lack of support for Israel means he is antisemitic, for instance, will see that this show not only doubles down on his pro-Palestinian position, but also shows how his stance is nothing but radically hostile towards Fascism. If you are open to this conversation, it becomes clear that there is agreement over how combatting Fascism is imperative, and so is understanding how this ideology manifests itself then and now. Today, who holds the power and is massacring, surveilling and demoralizing innocent people? If you allow yourself to join this conversation with him, you will see that his unyielding opinion on this question is: The U.S. Army, the police, the politicians in charge of them, and the ultra-wealthy who are in charge of these politicians. In an attempt to avoid any more spoilers, the visuals and the unique stage set-up can only be described as spectacular, and new wowing features are introduced continuously throughout the concert, keeping thousands each night on the edge of their seats. The guitar solos and back-up singer singalongs are bound to gratify any die-hard Pink Floyd fan. While the dynamic ebbs and flows of the set list, not to mention the fantastic saxophone solos, are bound to keep any music enthusiast moving. Above all, Roger Waters' iconic presence on stage is both fierce and warm. He's personal and heartfelt, but stern and authentic. Prepare for both extremes of affection and well-deserved f*ck offs, but most importantly, for his wonderfully familiar voice rocking to some of your all-time favorite songs. _______ Written by Mirna Wabi-Sabi and photographed by Kate Izor.

Do you remember the first time you signed a document? I ask when, not if, because chances are you have signed something, and others have signed something about you. A signed birth certificate, for instance, is likely a person’s 1st legal document, making all future identification documents possible — passports, social security numbers, employment and health care contracts, etc. The signature is so commonplace that we might take it for granted or believe it has always existed, but it hasn’t. Historically, signatures and official seals belonged to a privileged ruling class. It wasn’t until the 1600s that handwritten signatures became widespread, not coincidently at a time when indigenous peoples were being coerced into signing treaties that gave away their land. The Government and its laws not only instate but require of all people a judicial practice of signatures as “biomarkers”. Historically, laws regarding signatures date back to the oldest recorded piece of legal text, the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, from 17th century BC. “If any one give another silver, gold, or anything else to keep, he shall show everything to some witness, draw up a contract, and then hand it over for safe keeping” (Source). Essentially, the principle of validating contracts was about safeguarding the transfer of wealth, and this witness validation became what we today call notaries. This code directly influenced the Old Testament, Moses’ tablets of stone, and all laws developed within Christendom. What is set in stone, however, isn’t necessarily effective or applicable. Throughout colonization, the inclusion of non-Christians into this framework is in itself telling of the unequal dynamic between colonizer and colonized, not to mention what the treaties resulting from this framework entailed. These treaties were not applicable to the context of land distribution of indigenous peoples, and they were not effective because they did not prevent fraud, social injustice or unrest. It would be fair to say that the US American occupation of indigenous American land was war-like, and called for a judicial system which — as it guaranteed “Liberty” to some, it guaranteed the denial of liberty to others. The so-called “Grand Rush for Indian Territory” counted on the signatures of indigenous American leaders on treaties forged under contentious circumstances. It granted settlers what it denied natives, through a system not only foreign to natives, but manufactured to displace and segregate them. Indigenous peoples did not have signatures as such, and up to that point it was also unusual for the common citizen to have one. Which is why so many of the signatures in these treaties are scribbles, drawings or x-marks. “As everyone knows, treaties were made under conditions that were generally unfavorable to Indians, and as a result they were often accompanied by protest. Treaties led to dramatic changes in the Indian world: loss of land and political autonomy, assent to assimilation polices […]” (Scott Richard Lyons in X-Marks: Native Signatures of Assent (2010), University of Minnesota Press, pp. 1) Legally, a signature is invalidated if it happened under duress. The Latin term vi coactus, when placed next to a signature, shows that there was coercion in the process. Alongside the practice of signing, the Latin signifier was also foreign to natives. Defining duress legally in the context of the west coast of North America in the 17th century, however, requires a decolonial lens. Not only many treaties were signed in the context of armed conflict or economic coercion, communities were often not given what they were promised in return: sovereignty over their new territories. For that, there is also a Latin term (first documented in 1603) — nudum pactum, when a contract is unenforceable and revokable because it lacks something of value promised in exchange. Descriptions of colony/colonizer relations are rarely capable of avoiding the issue of imbalance of power. However, this imbalance is not always understood as unfair, or as a source of duress for the so-called weaker party. Recent international law analyses still describe the legal process of independence from colonizers in patronizing tones, as is the case in this passage from an article published in the Questions of International Law journal in 2019: "The world of sovereign states could be compared to the adult world, whereas the world of decolonization could be understood as the world of child-parent relations. […] Not only is the colonial country a weaker party in any agreement with the administering power on a factual basis, it is also formally (legally) unequal. Article 73 of the UN Charter recognizes its vulnerable position and offers special protection until the colonial country achieves ‘adulthood’ – ie a full measure of self-government either by becoming independent or freely associating or integrating with an independent state". (Demsar et al.) A centuries long attempt to justify the imbalance of power between colony and colonizer is tied to the enduring sentiments that there is such a thing as the categories 1st and 3rd worlds or developed and underdeveloped countries. The rationale behind acknowledging this inequality but not its unjust or distressing quality is possibly the single most effective tool in guaranteeing the longevity of a colonial paradigm. Sylvia Wynter (2003) describes this rationale as “the ongoing imperative of securing the well-being of our present ethnoclass (i.e., Western bourgeois) conception of the human, Man, which overrepresents itself as if it were the human itself.” This conception of the human has been materialized in the deliberate instating of signatures as biomarkers and the documents they validate as proof of personhood. In the digitalized era, proof of personhood (PoP) has taken a specific meaning relating to fake online identities. Alongside the conceptualization of PoP, the signature has also taken a new meaning through private keys, encryption and IP-addresses. This poses a silent threat to those who, for instance, have their mail-in ballots rejected because of mismatched signatures, or resist the push towards being ultra-connected through accepting all terms and conditions without reading. In Brazil, personhood being progressively more tied to the digital sphere poses a threat to indigenous people in particular. Not because indigenous peoples don’t have or want access to technology per se, but because there is a persistent undercurrent of colonial thought which strips natives of their identity if they strive for or are forced to engage with any tool perceived as of Western modernity. It’s the familiar (trigger warning: racist language) “you can’t be a real indian if you have phone” or “if you want your land back, you have to go live naked in the forest.” The colonial weapons used by settlers were not only firearms and disease. Epistemological assaults were even more commonplace, and persist to this day. Law as an epistemological and religious tool, and specifically the use of signatures in the legal process, are not any less pervasive today and victimize a much wider range of marginalized populations, such as the poor and diasporic. Signatures as proof of personhood is an existential threat, both philosophically and materially, to those furthest away from the status of power, wealth and whiteness. We may not be able to refrain from the practice of signatures, but we can at least be critical of the political paradigm which makes this practice unavoidable. In doing so, we are less likely to fall for the lies often told about the democratic and just nature of the Rule of Law. Originally published at abeautifulresistance.org _______ MIRNA WABI-SABI is a writer, editor and translator. She is founder and editor-in-chief of the Plataforma9 initiative, author of the bilingual pocket book Anarcho-Transcreation, and site editor of Gods and Radicals.

For at least 2 centuries, the alienating division of labor within capitalism is discussed among political writers. We may not always use Marxist jargon, but we, as the so-called working class, experience this alienation every day. Yet, first-hand accounts and diverse narratives are overshadowed by the writings of communist icons. Marxist theory is often equated with a well-grounded criticism of the capitalist system, as opposed to working people’s lived experiences and knowledge. I am here to dispute that, for it is clear to me that anti-capitalism was and is not exclusive to Marxist thinkers, and Marx did not ‘coin’ the ‘concept’ of anti-capitalism. The first time I was properly confronted with the issue of 'anti-capitalism equals communism’ was in Budapest, about a decade ago. I was there to present my DIY zine project, which was as a tool for overcoming the framework of intellectual elites being unwilling to perform the manual labor required of a print publication. Naively, I described the DIY approach as a disruption of capitalism. The space was historically anti-fascist and of Jewish resistance, and it surprised me that this did not necessarily mean the audience had heard of or knew something about anarchism. When the term “anti-capitalist” was spoken, “pro-USSR” was heard, and all the transgenerational trauma of the Soviet invasion of Hungary flooded in. At the time, the discussion seemed clear-cut enough to me, “sure, communism is not our goal either”, but being critical of capitalism was such a trigger, that there was no opening to explain any anarchist principles. In my work today, this issue persists from the opposite side of the spectrum — an approach to anti-capitalist thought is perceived as inadequate if it does not reference Marxists. Either theorizing critically about capitalism is too communistic, or not communistic enough. Clearly, the discussion is still not as clear-cut as I assume it to be, so I decided to cut through it, specifically as it relates to publishing. The issue of division of labor was discussed in print (and about print) throughout much of the 19th century, and is still a relevant discussion today. In removing the distinction between producing and authoring, we remove (to the best of our abilities) the capitalist division of labor. This rationale comes from the idea that industrialized mass production, as a tool for maximum profit within an expanding capitalist system, has the self-production of goods as its antithesis. To do-it-yourself is, therefore, not only an anti-capitalist statement but also a tool to address alienation. In this sense, DIY zines are not utopic objects made 100% by hand. These are publications which can be created at home, without industrial grade machinery. Which means, they do not set out to be identical, profitable, or printed and distributed in a corporate scale. Even though it is impossible to live completely outside this current industrial/economic system, an imperfect attempt to do something yourself is enough to raise a critical consciousness around how this paradigm is made to be alienating and inescapable. Now, “alienation” and “division of labor” sound like Marxist jargon, and many anti-capitalist theorists do use them as such. I do not. Alienation in a Hegelian sense is not something experienced specifically by the proletariat in capitalism, it is part of an existential process which makes us human. Let’s not get into who qualified as human under Hegel’s unhinged German-centricness, but let’s highlight that the word within the Hegelian framework is an unavoidable step towards liberation, rather than a specific abusive practice by the bourgeoisie. “[T]he self that has an absolute significance in its immediate existence, i.e. without having alienated itself from itself, is without substance, and is the plaything of those raging elements.” (Phenomenology of the Spirit, pp. 295) When it comes to ‘division of labor’ as a particular source of alienation, Tocqueville had noticed it of the United States and written about it in the mid 1830s: “In proportion as the principle of the division of labor is more extensively applied, the workman becomes more weak, more narrow-minded, and more dependent.” (Democracy in America, pp. 627) Through the brazen frenchness of his writing, critical snippets of this emerging economic paradigm can be seen — capitalism as a paradigm shift rather than an improvement from aristocracy. This division of labor as it pertains to art and authoring is discussed in more detail in the book What Is Art, where Tolstoy exclaims: “the laborers produce food for themselves and also food that the cultured class accept and consume, but that the artists seem too often to produce their spiritual food for the cultured only — at any rate that a singularly small share seems to reach the country laborers who work to supply the bodily food!” (1897). This anti-capitalist approach towards art and publishing through doing away with borders between classes and their labor is further highlighted by Lucy Parsons, who invites her readers to “make of [a newspaper] what [they] choose” (1905, Salutation), and that freedom will only come to be “when labor is no longer for sale” (1905, What Freedom Means). The list of political theorists throughout the 19th century which occupied themselves with discussing the problems of capitalism might be longer than the list of those who did not. Marx was one who provided a detailed framework, but there were other methods and approaches to dealing with capitalism being discussed by a whole era of thinkers. None of them were perfect, and few of those registered were as detailed as Marx’s, but the absence of perfection and details does not mean worthlessness. Anarchism, in particular, proposes something other than resorting to the imposition or enforcement of guidelines. In fact, this is what Lenin described as the “historical sin of Tolstoyism!” — Tolstoy’s disinterest in ruling was seen as a rejection of politics. As a novelist, however, his passion for subverting the arbitrary morality and norms of the aristocracy was far from apolitical; his method was moving hearts and minds through literature, and I would argue that Lenin not only learned from that, but took advantage of what Tolstoy achieved in Russian society through his work. Anarchist anti-capitalist publishing is a legacy, a valuable resource passed on through generations, for approaching persistent global socioeconomic issues. Anarchist anti-capitalist writing has the power to form an undercurrent of public discourse which renders authority and force obsolete. Originally published at abeautifulresistance.org _______ MIRNA WABI-SABI is a writer, editor and translator. She is founder and editor-in-chief of the Plataforma9 initiative, author of the bilingual pocket book Anarcho-Transcreation, and site editor of Gods and Radicals.

Written by Mirna Wabi-Sabi and photographed by Aiyana Leong-Knauer. Originally published at G&R. In the wake of the overturn of Roe v. Wade, frustration and disappointment with the Rule of Law is widespread. This isn’t the case just in the U.S., and it’s astonishing that people around the globe still had any hope and trust left to lose in this political philosophy. The Rule of Law is so inherent in our lives, we sometimes forget it’s a political philosophy that is imposed by force, and requires incredible amounts of social and material resources to uphold. Some built-in features of this philosophy which guarantee its scope of social influence are: the law mustn’t be too understandable or too precise. There is a deliberate effort put into making laws and legal texts open for interpretation, and into making interpretation out of reach for the public. Therefore, even if a law protecting a certain right exists, it is not often that we know what it says or how to use legal text to our advantage. This distinction can be seen, inter alia, between a law which protects abortion v. the ability to access abortion (i.e. to exercise the right) — both of which were already weak and became severely weaker. This paradigm is a global affliction, and affects all marginalized peoples. The YS and others case shows how the Rule of Law in Europe, though filled with texts which are presented as exemplary in how civilizations should operate, is an uphill battle for non-Europeans, and exemplifies how even when a law technically exists, the right it proposes to guarantee isn’t always accessible. The Eu Court Of Justice Case Ys And Others In 2014, a decision was made in the EU Court of Justice (ECJ in the CJEU) about the rights of asylum seekers to access the personal data in their asylum requests. Access to personal data is a European right, but there are several instances where this access may be restricted or interpretations which lead to it being denied. In the case of these asylum seekers, who are referred to as YS, M and S, their right to access documents, containing the legal analysis behind the decision on their application, was denied in several judicial levels before arriving at the European Union court. At this highest court, the interpretative question was: Does the legal analysis in the file of an applicant constitute as personal data? A large portion of the population of the European Union doesn’t know they have the right of access to personal data. Of the portion that does, not many know which circumstances constitute as exceptions; and of those, there is still the question of how to make an access request, and how to know if the response, lack of response, or manner of response to an access request is lawful. Once a person goes through all these steps and receives access to their personal data, how to know if the data is complete? From the files of YS, M and S, there is no question that the “applicant’s name, date of birth, nationality, gender, ethnicity, religion and language” (CURIA, paragraph 38) are defined as personal data and should be granted access to. However, certain countries in the EU disagreed about whether the documents with the legal analyses of the asylum request of the applicant should also be considered personal data. The Netherlands and France, for instance, did not consider the analysis to fit the description of personal data because it’s not related to the residence permit applicant, instead, it’s related to “a purely abstract interpretation of the law” (CURIA, paragraph 40). But there might be another, obfuscated, reason for it. An interpretation of the law is not purely abstract when it applies to the specific case of a person. And since this interpretation is information which relates to a person, it’s personal data. Beyond that, it could be said that it’s in the interest of the Dutch and French governments to have asylum seekers oblivious to the inner workings of its institutions and their decision-making processes. In Brazil, for example, it’s illegal to sell weed but not illegal to carry for personal use. There is no specific legal amount one may carry, which draws the line between personal use and drug trafficking. The reason for that is to make it harder for drug traffickers to use the law to get away with their crime, by carrying a maximum amount of weed at the time. If someone is caught with weed, it’s up to the cop to decide if the amount constitutes personal use or not. So, the recurring, well-known scenario which ends up playing out is — if a poor black teen or a rich white teen are caught with the same amount of weed, the black kid is seen as too poor to have that much weed, so it must be for sale; while the white kid is wealthy enough to not have to sell weed for a living, so it must be for personal use. That’s a legal interpretation, applied to each individual case relating to a person. One goes to jail while the other is let go, perhaps by paying out a meager bribe. It’s not far-fetched to imagine that the Dutch immigration office (IND) doesn’t want to reveal the reasoning behind their legal decisions, because they don’t want asylum seekers to have information which might help them present their case more effectively. However, that was not stated in the official publication of the decision. Instead, the argument was that, in the M case, access to the document might infringe upon the “freedom of the case worker responsible” for analyzing the application (paragraph 25). This is, indeed, an exception to the right of access to personal data — when access by an applicant infringes upon the rights and freedoms of someone else, more so than the lack of access infringes upon the rights and freedoms of the applicant. In M’s case, I’d argue denying access infringes upon the rights of the applicant more than the granting of the right infringes upon the case worker’s freedom. That’s clearly up to “interpretation”, but it’s not a purely abstract view of the law because it applies to M’s case in particular. The parallel between the rights of abortion in the U.S., of access to personal data in the E.U., and to have weed for personal use in Brazil highlights the global and intersectional nature of the Rule of Law. This political philosophy has problematic built-in features, which are deliberate, though often obfuscated. When it was in place, the right to an abortion improved bodily autonomy in the U.S. to a bare minimum, and it was already not enough to ensure people’s lives were free and healthy. The asylum and data privacy policies in Europe were not and are still not enough to ensure equal access to the rights they claim to offer. And drug possession charges in Brazil are plagued by racist and classist “legal interpretations”. In the eyes of the law, it is the marginalized members of society — women, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, black people — who are guilty until proven innocent. Because, if the society we live in is tainted with racism, sexism and classism, there is no way this stain won’t be reflected in the Rule of Law and its convoluted language designed to give room to the interpretation of an elite. The Rule of Law is not designed to be democratically improved upon, it’s designed to work according to the whims of those already in a position of power, and who have all the interest and resources to retain this power. The Law does not and will not protect those of us who fight every day for scraps of empowerment. Perhaps it’s when we stop hoping the government and its laws will rescue us from the misery they put us in, that we will begin to invest our hope and our trust into an autonomous initiative which makes the Law not only less of a threat, but also obsolete. ______ Written by Mirna Wabi-Sabi and photographed by Aiyana Leong-Knauer.

PDF available here. Abstract: Artists’ publications are often used in contemporary art studies in discussions about the printed page. However, these publications go beyond their nomenclatures and place in art institutions. The boundaries of visual arts are increasingly blurred, and discussions of works of art become more potent when viewed within the broader spectrum of visual culture. Aesthetics have the power to produce knowledge and establish relations with ways of living and being in the world and throughout history. Publications, as such, are social places that can mediate these relationships between people, especially when it involves issues like feminism, capitalism, and decoloniality. The Jornal de Borda— an anarchist visual culture newspaper circulated in Latin America in Portuguese and Spanish between 2015 and 2021 — is an example of artistic expression through printing.It strategizes the name of dissenting bodies — referred to as “corpas” — in the context of art within visual culture; it establishes relations between these bodies and anarchism within the Latin American context; and the aesthetic relates directly to other newspapers from the last century, such as A Plebe, honoring history as it makes history. PDF available here. You can also read it in full at the Vista website. Available in English and Portuguese. ___________ Fernanda Grigolin Postgraduate Diploma in Visual Culture and Latin American Art, Catholic University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil Mirna Wabi-Sabi Plataforma9p9, Brazil

Universidad de Costa Rica Legends, myths and history come together to recover dreams and illusions from ancient cultures around the world to create new chimeras and pursue them until they become a reality. This is possible thanks to a publication that is, in itself, an ideal of a group of students from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) that has been achieved: the virtual magazine Quimera. According to Ivannia Victoria Marín Fallas, director of the magazine, Quimera is an independent cultural and educational project, generated from the initiative of a group of students from the UCR, which aims to spread art and knowledge; not only virtually or in print, but also through activities that involve community members. The axes of the publication are literature, history, folklore and, in general, the heritage of ancient cultures and their survival . The magazine is published every six months and is virtual, although some copies are also printed. According to Marín, who is a classical philologist and current student of the Academic Master's Degree in Classical Literature, the profits obtained from the sale of each issue are directed to a different non-governmental social or animal welfare organization on each occasion. “Since the foundation of this project, we have been working constantly, non-profit, to encourage and disseminate literary creation and knowledge of various cultures through our digital publications. We have also organized activities such as the III AFL Literary Contest of Greco-Roman Mythology, in collaboration with the Association of Philology Students of the UCR, among other activities”, explained Marín. The director assures that the magazine has already reached 88 countries and exceeds 45,000 views. The articles have been read in nations such as Russia, Italy, China, Brazil, New Zealand and Spain, the country with the highest number of views followed by Costa Rica and Mexico. The fourth volume of the magazine will be presented next June 15 at the Cultural Center of Spain in Costa Rica, starting at 6:00 pm, and will feature the participation of the editorial team made up of Félix Alejandro Cristiá, Victoria Marín Fallas and Masiel Corona Santos. Likewise, there will be the presence of Penélope Gamboa, Xochipilli Hernández, Ulises Paniagua and Xóchitl Cuauhtémoc Xicoténcatl, who have generated content for the magazine. For more information you can visit the site of the virtual magazine Chimera by clicking HERE. The fourth volume of Chimera, in the words of the editor Félix Cristiá: By virtue of the lyrics that accompany this volume, we enter the mysterious plant world, thanks to that attempt to understand the Arborescent Language that Josué Rodríguez Calderón invokes in his poem, perhaps with the desire to go through the laws that have created the human beings and reach the simplicity at the same time so complex to which Xochipilli Hernández alludes. Along this path, we could perceive natural changes as a heartbeat – Xóchitl Cuauhtémoc insinuates – that becomes memory, an Offering. There are many ways to get close. Isn't that the secret kept by the wise grandfather mentioned by Hubert Malina? These secrets, visible only to those who use their senses above reason, rest among the trees recited to us by Alberto Arecchi and Carlos Belziti, in the Lilies by Pablo Guisado, in the rain by Masiel Corona Santos, on the corn. We speak of a being that metamorphoses itself. Our ancestors had the courage to try to decipher the synthesis between the visible and the unexperienced, but they could do no more than watch carefully. Through the myth, and perhaps what most encourages us at this time, the story, they interpreted and taught the changes of nature, as Angélica Santa Olaya reminds us in her Fruits of love, or Aldo Vicente Favero with his legendary seed. Just like those masters of universal letters, who found in the story the way to approach the fantastic world, Ulises Paniagua tells us about the mandrakes, and Ricardo Evangelista about a boy from the forest who looks with horror at the ax of civilized man. Similarly, Eduardo Honey Escandón recalls the magic of the mangroves, veins of the Earth that have shaped a structure that renews itself, sometimes as strong and stubborn as the determined trunk that Penélope Gamboa tells us about, and in others as fragile as the margarita of María Pérez Yglesias. Recalling the passion of writing to learn, learning to investigate, and research to spread, Patricia Zanatta shares a little about the medicinal secrets of Andean plants, which is in turn the story of an entire population. Through a return to the forest to which the essay by Carlos Guzmán (Gani) invites us, where human rules do not rule, but rather the incessant wonder of children, we finally get rid of the daring thought that we can only learn from the specialists and scientists; we begin to pay more attention to the leaves, the petals, or the ponds, as Mirna Wabi-Sabi presents us, because despite the incredible advances of science, the human being is not yet capable of replicating and predicting all the facets of the nature kingdom. These texts (written in Spanish, Portuguese, Mè'phàà, Nahuatl and Bribri) together account for the different manifestations of knowledge and imagination, transmitted through various styles and languages, inspired in turn by a whole world that, If we adopt the beliefs of the authors with whom we have dealt, it could be a single, enormous, exalted entity that nevertheless manifests itself in innumerable forms so that the human being can understand it in various ways, and thus, perhaps, can also perceive itself as part of the same splendid whole. "Quimera seeks to reconcile the values ​​of universality and diversity through myth, history and art in general." (Ivannia Victoria Marín Fallas, director of the magazine Chimera) ________ Universidad de Costa Rica

This article is accompanied by subtitled interviews on YouTube, which can also be read in english as a transcript here. As millions of people escape the war in Ukraine, last month, Kseniia Tomchyk returned to the city where she was born, Berehove, near the border with Hungary. After spending 7 years in Brazil, the conflict motivated Kseniia to return to her home country to help her family. Aside from love and concern for the country, she is motivated by human values. According to Tomchyk, Putin is a “psychopathic dictator” who does not accept the independence of her country, much less its tendency to lean towards European values. The debate which orbits this tragic geopolitical event tends to focus on the relationship between NATO and Russia, and the international policies of the United States. But, for Kseniia, "using NATO as an explanation is a lame apology." In the intimacy of the family realm, where there are dreams of a better future, Kseniia shows how the ethical and moral principles of her people are closer to the real reason for this conflict. In the interview above, Kseniia introduces herself, and tells us why she is returning to Ukraine. What are European values, and how do they differ from Russian values? Kseniia describes Russia as an authoritarian country where there is no democracy, the press is not free, and there is no freedom in general. On the other hand, Europe preaches “democratic” values: life, freedom and respect. They are formalized in an article of the European Union Treaty, and aim to guarantee that the population has the freedom to “express opinions”, including through voting. Russia, in theory, also had elections. Putin always won, and when he reached the limit of consecutive terms, Medvedev came into power but never ran again. United Russia, the country's hegemonic party, has values ​​that exist in symbiosis with those of its leader. These principles are denominated “conservative”, “pragmatic”, and “anti-radical”. “Conservatism” can be seen as associated with the values ​​of the Russian Orthodox Church. Among other things, it formalizes the Patriarchy, as an individual in the role of Patriarch exercises political power and works closely with the party. “Pragmatism” can be seen as prioritizing the ensuring of social order above any other moral or ethical motivation (such as freedom of expression). And “anti-radicalism” represents the rejection of the binary political paradigm of Left and Right, favoring ideological and governmental centralization. "Anti-radicalism", in particular, has a direct bearing on the precarious state of independent journalism in Russia (Source) — which has recently become a global issue. Russia is notorious for being a dangerous place for journalists, with hundreds of deaths and disappearances recorded (Source). Since the 1990s, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the country's constitution has included freedom of the press, but in practice, journalists are coerced into self-censorship (Source). Today, Russia becomes a threat to international journalists; since the war in Ukraine began, at least 12 journalists have been killed (Source). For this reason, among others, Putin is not a leader who conceptually represents the values ​​of Democracy, but he has the support of many people in Russia, as there are many people who adhere to the principles of his party. If there were elections, he would have high chances of winning. Kseniia believes that "we can't just blame this on lack of information or manipulation by the media. The Russian population had access to the internet before this conflict started" and, in theory, a world of information was at their fingertips. The government can formalize great and beautiful values, and put them on paper, but each person also has a responsibility to put these values ​​into practice, on a daily basis. Now, there is an opportunity for these people to rethink this complacent position with dubious political values, as Russia's reputation is shaken, and sanctions are causing discomfort throughout the population. In the above interview, Kseniia tells us what she has been doing in Ukraine and her perspective on the political situation in her country. [Transcript available below] Europe has its contradictions, it has amassed wealth through the occupation and exploitation of colonized countries, it still has Monarchies, and in many cases, at least until recently, laws prohibiting “injury to the majesty” in the media (Lèse-majesté). So when we talk about freedom of the press, coercion of independent journalists is not just a Russian affliction. In the US, some famous whistleblowers (e.g. Assange) have gone into exile, some even in Russia, such as Snowden. In Brazil, politicians, researchers and writers have received threats to the point of exile in Europe (Jean Wyllys, Larissa Bombardi, Marcia Tiburi, for example). Not to mention political assassinations, as in the case of Marielle Franco. Moving towards a European value such as Freedom of the Press or Democracy does not necessarily mean believing that European civilization is superior, as it is far from perfect and from putting its values ​​properly into practice. In the case of Ukraine, as described by Kseniia, preferring a set of values, even if they are not yet perfectly practiced, means believing in a journey towards a horizon, a desirable potential for the future. This exists in opposition to a society whose authorities offer a horizon, an ultimate goal for the people, which, despite aiming at social equity and minimizing economic inequality — values ​​registered in the United Russia manifesto — also aims at an existence confined in the paradigm of Christian patriarchy. And more, where authorities aim to centralize power through the eradication of divergent ideologies, in favor of 'order' through social control. This is not to say that some Ukrainians do not embrace Russian values ​​and prefer to choose this path. Given the history of coercion, corruption and less-than-truthful reporting, judging the authenticity of these positions can be tempting. But in the end, we all deal with disinformation which fuels political polarization. What guarantees the existence of a State is the consent of the population, and creating and maintaining this consent is a major challenge, as much as it is essential for the effectiveness of its policies. In other words, the population of a democratic country, in theory, actively allows the existence of the State and makes its actions viable. However, it is common for this consent to be acquired through coercion and media manipulation. This is not just true in Russia. It is common, in a democracy, for individuals to vote for a “lesser evil” — a candidate whose values ​​do not robustly represent the voter – because they know that the politician (usually a man) has a better chance of winning. Especially in a nation like the USA, which, despite considering itself politically decentralized and free, elections are centralized in 2 parties. In Brazil, many people who were critical of Lula's and Dilma's political regime, also took a stand against the 2016 impeachment, and are more than willing to put their party back in power if it means removing Bolsonaro from office. No option is perfect, but it is a preferable alternative when we don't see any other. The terror and urgency of this global paradigm of democracy and the struggle for freedom is that it threatens the survival of vulnerable people. Certain options are preferable enough to the point where we risk our lives to ensure that we go towards them. In Ukraine, “no person wounded in the war, who is in the hospital now in Berehove, intends to return home after recovering. Everyone will return to war. We want to be free, not to exist to satisfy the desires and ambitions of one individual [Putin].” Kseniia took the risk of returning to her hometown to defend her values ​​and support her family. “Big organizations help, but each one doing their part takes us much further, and we achieve much more.” Everyone in her village with space at home is sheltering a refugee family. Donations of clothes, medicine and food keep coming. “I'm asked how I can go back to Ukraine in this situation, and I answer 'how can I not go back!' To surrender is to say we agree. We'd rather die than surrender to it. It is not an option to live under Putin's control. Ukrainians don't want to be slaves to a psychopath with ambitions, and live to fulfill those ambitions. It is even difficult to answer the question 'why not surrender?', this possibility has not even crossed our minds. Surrendering is not an option.” Published originally at Abeautifulresistance.org. ________ Mirna Wabi-Sabi is a writer, editor and translator. She is founder and editor-in-chief of the Plataforma9 initiative and author of the bilingual pocket book Anarco-Transcriação.

“Latin America is known for its mambo and salsa dance styles, but there’s something else shaking up the region”… (Salas, 2022) Could anything good come after this opening line? FINTECH. Fintech is short for Financial Technology, and investors are claiming it will be the solution to income inequality. It includes online banking, cryptocurrency, crowdfunding, stocktrading apps, mobile payments, and so on, as tools for “financial inclusion” of economically marginalized people. The ultra wealthy have the ability to convince themselves, and those around them, that what poor people need to get out of poverty is something a venture capitalist can offer. And what’s hotter in venture capitalism than tech giants in Silicon Valley? New apps and online banking inventions are being sold in Latin America as the solution to all our money problems — making transactions quicker and cheaper — as if the problem with poor people’s finances was lack of tools to manage money, not lack of money. This month, Forbes.com published a hopeful article about how fintech can be a solution for income inequality called “Fintech Leaps Forward In Latin America”, written by Sean Salas, CEO of an online financial service company based in Los Angeles. Camino Financial, his company, has a website which bans visits from my region of Brazil — my IP address is blocked, but a VPN overrides the ban. According to the US Department of the Treasury, internet-based financial service companies, like his, “developed Internet Protocol (IP) address blocking procedures” to unsuccessfully address the “firm’s compliance risks”. Banning IP addresses from certain geographical regions can be done if they want to comply with US sanction policies, or “satisfy their due diligence requirements” (US Department of the Treasury, 2004). In other words, the man who argued for the revolutionary nature of fintech in Latin America is also CEO of a financial enterprise which bans website visitors from certain locations in Latin America. Of all people, he knows first-hand how the internet, specifically Internet-based financial services, have severe potential to become inaccessible, restrictive, and expensive — just as banks are now. “Five banks control over 80% of every financial product in Brazil. Combined these banks have become the most profitable in the world. If you see the interest rates and fees consumers pay for these products it’s extremely expensive.” (Salas, 2022) What can we do to ensure we are truly solving the problem of banks, and not just transferring the problem to the internet? By demanding dignity to all people, first and foremost. Is your local venture capitalist paying their workers a living wage? These shiny new gadgets will keep us entertained and distracted for some time, but it will certainly not solve the real problem here: working people around the globe are not getting paid enough. Wealthy people hoard their wealth by not paying workers a living wage, and until that changes, this belief in meritocracy will continue to disappoint. To be at the “Forefront of Financial Inclusion” is to properly remunerate workers, and to provide every citizen with basic health needs and education — not to provide modern ways for poor people to feel broke and inadequate. In this sense, Fintech “Unicorns” is a fitting term for these ventures, because they are clearly out of touch with reality. Surely, they are useful, since they can be used imaginatively (especially during a pandemic which requires social distancing), but let’s not oversell them. We still unquestionably have a much bigger issue at hand: people are homeless, hungry and dying while oligarchs wage war, obliterate forests and go to Space. In fact, some of these oligarchs probably have their toes in the fintech pool. Latin America is known for a lot more than just beats and swinging hips. We are known for incredible biodiversity, stunning nature, indigenous resilience in face of colonialist exploitation and the spiritual power of the African Diaspora. If Fintech entrepreneurs don’t acknowledge the need to worship and protect this legacy, their contributions to the Latin American landscape will be puny. Sources: Salas, Sean. (2022) “Fintech Leaps Forward In Latin America” US Department of the Treasury. (2004) “Compliance For Internet, Web Based Activities, And Personal Communications” Published originally at Abeautifulresistance.org. Mirna Wabi-Sabi is a writer, editor, and translator from Brazil. She is the founder of the Plataforma9 initiative and the author of the bilingual pocket book Anarcho-Transcreation (Anarco-Transcriação).

The original version of this piece, in english, can be found at Truthout. The version below can also be found at Abeautifulresistance.org. PHOTOS: Protest for Justice in the Moïse case in Barra, Rio de Janeiro (Credit: Fabio Teixeira) Saturday, February 5th, protesters went to the streets of major Brazilian cities asking for Justice. A young African man has been lynched — tortured to death — on a beach in Rio de Janeiro. The perpetrators, working men themselves, are in custody, and claim there was no intention to kill; that they were responding to the erratic and irresponsible behavior of the victim. The victim’s family, on the other hand, claims he was only asking to be remunerated for two days of work. No narrative, however, justifies what happened, which was caught on video. Is the arrest of the men who tied another man down to beat him what Justice looks like? Moïse was a Congolese refugee living in Brazil for a decade. At the beach where he was brutally murdered, he was known as the “Angolan”. That’s like nicknaming a US American “Mexican”, or a Brazilian “Venezuelan”, just because these are neighboring countries in the same continent. The lack of understanding his community had about the circumstances which brought him to Brazil in the first place is already an injustice — one which will not be reversed with someone’s imprisonment. By 2008, the Second Congo War, which started in 1998, had killed over 5 million people and is considered the deadliest since World War II. The First one happened right before, also in the 90s, and was a direct result of Colonial and Imperialist forces meddling with African leaders and exploiting ethnic differences in the region. Zaire, which is now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was made into a rope in the thug-of-war between Communist and Anti-communist forces, until the dissolution of the USSR and of the USA’s interest in endorsing its leader. Moïse was born the year one war ended and as another one started, which was a period where over 5 million children did not receive an education due to political turmoil — literacy levels were at their lowest, and child labor and exploitation at their highest. Throughout his youth, his country was under a so-called “peacekeeping” United Nations operation (MONUSCO) which did more to create a clandestine weapons industry than to prevent conflict. Among the countries involved in this operation was Brazil, with its military and police personnel. Today, a Brazilian general is Force Commander of MONUSCO, and he is the fourth Lieutenant from Brazil to hold the position, making it the most represented country in terms of leadership. Much before all that, the Congo region had already lived through atrocities under a Belgian regime and its rubber industry. At the turn of last century, between the last decade of the 1800s and the first one of the 1900s, Africans under the colonial regime of the Belgian king were enslaved, mutilated, and killed at barbaric rates. Famine, disease, and exploitation perpetuated by Colonialism and its for-profit industries were responsible for the deaths of over half of the local population — uncountable lives. But barbaric foreign meddling is not all there is to say about this Central African country. (Credit: Fabio Teixeira) Despite incessant geopolitical opportunism, Congo has endured geographically and thrives culturally. According to the WWF, “The Congo Basin has been inhabited by humans for more than 50,000 years and it provides food, fresh water and shelter to more than 75 million people.” The Congo River is the largest in volume after the Amazon River. Its tropical forest is also the largest after the Amazon. As a Brazilian, our passion for preserving our most magnificent and precious asset ought to be extended to our ecological neighbor, since, together, our countries are the keepers of the world’s most “important wilderness areas left on Earth.” Congolese musicians and writers have also found artistic expression as a tool for self-esteem and power. Kolinga, a Congolese group, is around today making decolonial feminist anthems. Last century, soukous and Congolese rumba hits became international classics, perhaps best represented in the Congo Revolution compilation “Revolutionary and Evolutionary Sounds From The Two Congos 1955-62”. Literature, in much need of translation and wider distribution, is even more moving and representative of the artistic tide of the nation. The poem “Second Dimension” by the Congolese writer Rais Neza Boneza, from his book “Nomad, sounds of exile,” is particularly insightful, perhaps even specifically to the plight of Moïse and his immigrant community in Brazil. May it speak for itself: Near his table rests a glass of water; Through his window he glances at passerby: He observes and always waits, waits, waits. Bitterness nourishes his being; Subjected to misunderstandings And false airs of 'people' He is a prisoner. He sits, hands cupped around his chin Solemnly thinking In his dreaming, his spirits escape The world of hardships And travel in the expanses of the Wild blue sky He leans on his table, half worried, half-contented. In this place of his there is no compassion; Evil prowls around its prey; Rancor sings its melody of morning, A stranger to his land, He melancholically sips from his glass-- A sip of freedom. Marginalized and needy, Very far is the wind of liberty blowing for him He is a clandestine, always without address, Not a nomad, but a recluse in the midst of humanity. In his unbroken crystal enclosure He follows the echoes of his silent screams. A rock of madness, only solitude answers him. He startles! His heart rapidly beats! He rises from his bed! Ah! It's only a nightmare! This is a nightmare Moïse and his family will not wake up from, nor will the African diasporic community at large be shielded from the inhumanity of such barbaric acts. But we can, as a society, begin to perceive Justice as a much border concept — not only as something the judicial system can provide. Justice means seeing, respecting, and appreciating the value of welcoming people who are different from us into our communities. Justice means doing what we can to learn, understand and fight against a geopolitical paradigm driven by abuse and exploitation (e.g. by demanding reparations). Justice means thinking, asking and feeling the Humanity in all of us. Protest for Justice in the Moïse case in São Paulo, MASP, February 5 — Photo and video (Credit: Mirna Wabi-Sabi). _____ Mirna Wabi-Sabi is a writer, editor, and translator from Brazil. She is the founder of the Plataforma9 initiative and is the author of the bilingual pocket book Anarcho-Transcreation (Anarco-Transcriação).

"This lack of respect for Black, poor or homeless bodies is consistent throughout the centuries. It continuously robs people of their history, and of their place in the collective psyche." In the midst of violent polarization in the political landscape of the United States, one fact many people can agree on is that monuments are a part of history. Tearing down white bronze casts of dead white men will not erase enslavement and war in the past. But it can be a step towards making room for the stories these men fought to erase — not only in the U.S., but every place that is home to the African diaspora. These invisibilized stories reveal the legacy behind the racialized oppression still seen across the world today. The Caju Cemetery in Rio de Janeiro, built over the bodies of enslaved Africans, is one of the largest in Brazil, and its 180-year history is symbolic of the relentless erasure of Black bodies and stories that persists today. Written by Mirna Wabi-Sabi Photographed by Fabio Teixeira Read it at Truthout

Protesters demonstrate in memory of the murder of 24-year-old Congolese Moïse Kabagambe and against violence against refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on February 5, 2022. On February 5, protesters took to the streets of major Brazilian cities asking for justice. A young African man, Moïse Kabagambe, was lynched — tortured to death — on a beach in Rio de Janeiro in January. The alleged perpetrators, working men themselves, are in custody, and claim there was no intention to kill; that they were responding to the erratic behavior of the victim. The victim’s family, on the other hand, claims he was only asking to be remunerated for two days of work. No narrative, however, justifies what happened, which was caught on video. To protesters, Kabagambe’s case went beyond the debate in court of whether his death was a homicide or an accident. The men involved claim their intention was to punish the immigrant for causing trouble, but the video shows how the beating went on for several minutes after Kabagambe was unresponsive, and the sheer physical stamina needed for the act implies hate was the fuel. Written by Mirna Wabi-Sabi Photographed by Fabio Teixeira Read it at Truthout